TURNER LIKE KID IN CANDY STORE WITH NEW SUPPLY

Like any 60-year-old kid with a vivid imagination, Norv Turner needed some things to play with. He wanted toys. So Chargers General Manager A.J. Smith went shopping at the FAO Schwarz in NFL Free Agent Mall, grabbed all the expensive novelties his budget would allow, dumped them into his head coach’s room and said: “Here, son. Have a ball. Just don’t break anything.”

And it isn’t as though the man who runs the Chargers offense was given too many playthings to handle at once. Norv knows what to do with them. And if all goes well — ifs, as in health, play huge parts here — this could be the most exciting offense we’ve seen around here since Air Coryell was pulled out of the hangar.

I like the way this offense sets up, because it has the possibility of being so versatile, attacking from many different spots with athleticism, strength, size and speed. We may see a few things here we haven’t seen before if all comes together as Norv believes it can— and should.

Let’s look into the toy box.

Tight ends.

When Antonio Gates is healthy, he’s the best. He’s healthy again. Randy McMichael is a rock. Turner loved Dante Rosario. Smith got him Rosario. No tight end in the draft with so much size could run like Ladarius Green. Smith got Green.

Running backs.

To complement Ryan Mathews, Smith went versatile with veterans Le’Ron McClain (tailback/fullback), Ronnie Brown, who could excite as a third-down back (and he can run the wildcat) and Jackie Battle, who can also help on special teams. Curtis Brinkley last year showed promise. I don’t believe Mike Tolbert will be missed — nowhere near as much as Darren Sproles.

Receivers.

The big-ticket item, Vincent Jackson, went for Buccaneers booty, but Smith countered with fast, proven toys. In came Eddie Royal, Robert Meachem, Roscoe Parrish and Michael Spurlock to blend in with Malcom Floyd, Vincent Brown and Richard Goodman.

Quarterbacks.

Philip Rivers. If you’re a churchgoer, light candles, say novenas and pray for his good health.

The possibilities seem without end. And Turner is thrilled with his gifts — not just kid Norv, but mad scientist Norv, trying to mix and match all these explosive chemicals in a very short period of time.

“I’m excited about it; when you have guys who can do something different, it invigorates you,” Turner was saying Monday in his office while his players had a day off from training camp. “Over the past four years Philip has led the league in yards per attempt. Obviously, this is a big-play team and we’re going to find ways to get different people involved.”

The tight ends are intriguing, because there will be times when defenses gang up on Gates and Norv will have more than one on the field, perhaps three at times.

“We’re getting more and more comfortable with these guys,” Turner said, “and each of them brings something different. Rosario has great body control and runs the seam route well. If teams decide to double Gates, Rosario’s going to get some looks.

“With Royal in the slot, with Gates and Rosario, with Brown out of the backfield, it’s going to be harder to concentrate on Gates. We have to take advantage of it. Taking nothing away from Tolbert, who caught more than 50 balls for us, but when he was singled-up because of the way people played Gates, we didn’t get the big plays out of him we did with Sproles. I know Ronnie Brown is going to make big plays because he has the ability to make the first tackler miss.”

And don’t forget Brown all but invented the wildcat in Miami. Norv won’t be afraid to use it.

“We got some big plays out of the wildcat with LT and Sproles,” he said. “It’s not something we’re going to major in, but if we run it four-five times a game, it isn’t going to take anything away from Philip, and it’s something defenses have to prepare for.”

And Royal will give Norv the dangerous slot receiver he hasn’t had here.

“Eddie reminds me of Henry Ellard (13,777 career yards receiving; Turner’s slot with the Rams and ’Skins),” Norv said. “He has great change of direction, he’s very smooth and he runs faster than he looks; he can get deep. It’s going to be exciting watching him.”

Of course everything must come together, and it must come together quickly. These toys look good. They must be good to play with.

“You can get enamored with all this,” Norv cautioned. “You’ve got to get people in position to make plays — and we’ve already done a lot — but they have to be good at it; they have to execute. I’m hoping we can get into a rhythm. When we’re at our best, we’ll run the ball and make explosive plays in the passing game.”

None of it will matter if the Chargers turn the ball over as they did in 2011.

“What we’re working on now is protecting the ball,” Turner said. “Ball security. Philip has thrown one interception the first four days. He’s very conscious of it. If our drives end with a touchdown, field goal or punt, we’re going to be real good. If we turn the ball over at midfield, we won’t be.

“I’m realistic. The influx of players we have is great, but they haven’t been together long. Philip has been throwing to Gates and Floyd a long time; he knows where they are. He has to get the same feeling with Meachem and Royal and everybody else.

“What I like best is all the guys we’ve brought in have known success. They have a great work ethic and high expectations. They know how to perform.”